Letters: Maine needs quarantine enforcement

Tuesday

May 12, 2020 at 10:54 AM

A message of hope

The list of things we don’t know right now is long, but the constantly growing list of things we can control is longer. To “RISE UP” from a place of fear, uncertainty, and confusion means to support one another, reach out and help.

We all can do this. And it’s powerful. I invite you to join us at GLOW, in York, to “RISE UP” in whatever way that means to you.

Our businesses will evolve, and even though we all don’t know what that will look like, it will serve us and our clients, customers and communities well, to try. Chances are we’ve all gotten this far because of unimaginable support. Is it too far off to think we could grow leaps and bounds from this place? Absolutely not. We are not alone!

—Amy Hopkins, owner/founder of GLOW, York

Maine needs quarantine enforcement

Gov. Mills is restricting us with stay-at-home orders, but she is not sincerely protecting us at our borders. Large volumes of visitors from out of state, mostly Massachusetts, cross our borders for non-essential purpose on a daily basis. I-95 is busy with passenger vehicles from our southern neighbor. They are in our shops, parking at our beaches, stocking up at grocery stores for their weekend stays. Then going right back to the COVID-19 hotspots of the Boston metro area.

Here in southern Maine, we are on the front lines of this influx, but we have seen no evidence that 14-day quarantine orders are enforced. No checkpoints, no monitoring. Our state police can utilize the truck stops on I-95 south of York. It would not have to be daily activity either. This is a simple manner of messaging that the order will be enforced; that we are not to be disrespected as a mere playground for Massachusetts. Clearly, though, the governor has not given such directives. The order is all talk.

I am a supporter of restriction measures and social distancing (and, yes, I voted for Gov. Mills), but the mandate must be consistent and sincere. If people in southern Maine aren’t being protected by enforcement of quarantines, what will compel our own reluctant residents to bother with the restrictions? Gov. Mills needs to take charge of this situation. As summer arrives we can’t just cross our fingers and hope tourists are sensible.

—Chris Ring, York

Gideon is the leader our educators and students deserve

Last week was teacher appreciation week. Throughout the week, we celebrate the efforts of our teachers and all that they do for our schools and communities, but this year, things are a bit different. The COVID-19 pandemic has shined a light on all the things, both big and small, that our schools and teachers do on a day to day basis for our kids and communities.

For teachers and schools to be successful and deliver all of those things, they need legislation and legislative leaders that support them. Sara Gideon is one legislator who has always supported educators, and she would certainly continue to do so in Washington, D.C.

As Speaker of The State House, Gideon proposed a budget that made the largest investment in K-12 education in recent history. The proposal also included more money for low-income districts. She is the champion that our students and teachers need.

Gideon recognizes that education has to start earlier for our kids. She worked to expand access to early childhood education by making it easier for school districts to access state funding for the creation of pre-K programs.

Gideon’s legislation in the State House proves that she is ready to fight for educators all across America. Let’s vote Gideon into the U.S. Senate this November so she can bring this type of legislation to Washington. Educators — and students — deserve a leader who will work to ensure that every family has the opportunity to receive a high-quality pre-K-12 education no matter their neighborhood, family circumstances, or race.

—Paul C. Santamore, Arundel

Editor’s note: Sara Gideon is running against Bre Kidman and Betsy Sweet in Maine’s July 14 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. The winner is expected to face incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins and any independent challengers in the Nov. 2 general election. The deadline for nonparty candidates to qualify for the general election is July 1, according to the Maine Secretary of State’s website.

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